From Beyond the Fog
by Evarinya28
Summary: Diane's memories from beyond the fog of forgetfulness. Old fic from a few years ago.


A/n: This is an old fic I wrote just after manga chapter 112 had come out and I had finally finished watching season 1

Diane knew she was dying. She could no longer move and her senses were fading fast. For a while it seemed that they were going to die with her- Gowther, Howzer, Guila and the little boy, Zeal. But then King had arrived at the battlefield and somehow she felt as if everything was going to be just fine. Suddenly her pain vanished and was replaced by a wonderful soothing feeling. A sweet smell like blooming flowers and ripe fruits that was so comforting and familiar swept away the stench of blood, smoke and death surrounding her. Opening her eyes with a great effort she saw warm, golden light and a small, glowing figure floating before her. Unbidden visions of sunbeams and laughter filled her mind and without thinking she murmured a strange name that seemed to come from a long forgotten past- "Harlequin.." Then there was nothing.

It took her awhile to get her bearings once she woke up. She felt weak, exhausted and sleepy but her wounds were gone. Her companions were healed too and her fairy comrade was kneeling beside their fallen opponent. With an effort she pulled herself up into a sitting position. Apparently she had only been unconscious for a few minutes. As King flew back to her with a soft smile on her face she noticed that her friend was covered with wounds and had been crying. Concern welled up within her and she felt an inexplicable urge to hold him close and comfort him. Once she had waved away his apology for sending her into danger and thanked him for protecting and healing her she told him about the strange memories that had been tugging at the back of her mind ever since he had come. "Harlequin.. It's the name of someone very important to me.. But I can't remember who." For a fleeting moment an odd look seemed to flash across his features. Then he smiled and her heart leapt in her chest. "It must have been a dream," he said, and she smiled back, agreeing.

The rest of the day passed like a whirlwind. From apparent victory to hellish chaos to driving the enemy to a corner to a final tumultuous battle with the odds heavily against them, the wheels of fortune had turned and turned about. And all through, King had stayed at her side, protecting her whenever it was possible. She too had found herself looking to him for advice and backup as they fought side by side. She had to admit that they worked well as a team. Then it was all over. After a desperate battle they had finally emerged victorious. Elizabeth and her family were safe, Liones was free, the resurrection of the Demon Clan was stopped and the Holy Knights had repented of their sins. She and her comrades had been cleared of the crime they had been framed for and were being hailed as heroes. To top it all, Hawk, who had sacrificed himself to save his friend, had been revived miraculously (albeit in a shrunken form). For a while she rejoiced with everyone but then heartbreak came as she saw her beloved Captain in Elizabeth's arms. King had stopped her from doing anything stupid. She was thankful for that. Elizabeth was one of her best friends. To destroy their friendship because they loved the same man would have been a nasty thing to do. Besides, she knew that Captain only thought of her as a good friend and dependable comrade while it was obvious that he had feelings for Elizabeth. Even though it hurt, she respected his choice.

Diane sighed. Usually whenever she was miserable King would soon notice and come to her side. And somehow he always managed to make her feel better he had noticed this time too- his eyes had been full of sorrowful sympathy when he had stopped her from interrupting the Captain and Elizabeth. But she doubted that he could make her feel better this time. In any case, he was already going through enough pain without her burdening him with her misery. It had been a terrible day for him. His long-dead best friend had been resurrected as Hendrickson's puppet and had tried to destroy them all. Twice. And both times he had been forced to end the other Fairy's life with his own hands. It was so cruel.. She had been the only one who had noticed her friend slipping away. He had obviously wanted to be left alone to grieve for his fallen friend. She too had sought solitude to ease her heartache. She felt bad, for she knew that she could offer him no comfort and would only add on to his troubles. It was selfish of her to want him at her side now.

The last thought brought her up short. Not only had King's ordeal taken her mind off Captain and Elizabeth she was also wishing for her Fairy friend's company. Now that she thought about it, she had to admit that King was actually very important to her. She could remember how glad she had been when she had seen him after ten years of separation their unspoken but precious friendship had deepened even more since then.

_"Harlequin, will you be my friend someday?"_

_"We have been friends for a long time, Diane."_

The words and images that suddenly flashed through her mind made her feel as if she had been hit with Gideon. It was a memory. She was sure of that. But a memory of her and King? And one that was definitely from a long time ago? AND she had called him Harlequin? Harlequin.. The name from back when she nearly died at Helbram's hands. The mad fairy too had called her friend Harlequin, she now remembered. What happened back then had been driven clean out of her mind by the chaos that followed but now everything came trickling back. That name- HIS name- which had seemed so important, the smell surrounding him which was always so comforting and nostalgic, the strange look on his face when she had mentioned his real name even as he called everything a dream- all of it came back to her. As her mind reeled with confusion, visions from long ago whirled through her mind. Not visions, she realised- they were memories. Memories of a past she had shared with King, a cherished past she had forgotten completely. The trickle grew to a deluge and she was flooded with sights, sounds, thoughts and emotions, with feelings of joy and security, of loving and being loved. And as a storm danced within, her tears finally flowed freely.

Eventually though, the tears dried and her dazed mind started coming back to the present. She was a mess, she realised. Her clothes were torn, smelly, tainted with grime from the day's battle and now liberally stained with her tears. She herself was dirty, exhausted and hungry. It was quite late- almost dinnertime. She needed to freshen up quickly and get to the Boar Hat (Hawk Mama had arrived soon after Hendrickson's defeat) quickly before the others, especially King, noticed anything wrong. She didn't really want to face him alone right now. Between what had happened in the past and all that had occurred after they had met again with her forgetting his very existence sometime in between, everything was really complicated. It'd take a lot of time to sort everything out and decide what to do next. Well, she had the whole night ahead for that. At the moment she just had to act normal until everyone else went to bed. She was grateful to have those memories back- she knew that much. A void within her whose she had never noticed was filled up and she was whole again. She once more remembered the happiest time of her life which she had shared with her Harlequin and she knew in her heart that everything was going to be just fine.


End file.
